Improvement in piano-fortes



J C. 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

am 7| 8 3 2 C e D d 8 I- wn m 0 a P O n a P NPETERS, PHOTO-UTHOGRAPHEK WASHINGTON, D

3-Sheets-Sheet 2. ,J. G. WARD. Pian jf'orte. No. 222,848. Vaented Dec. 23, 1879.

3 sheetsesheen 3.

J. 0. WARD. Ma go-Forte. No. 222,848. WPatented Dec. 23,1879.

'5 62 0 I I f W 2 i 12 6 E n j; l l

i I Z 1 stability is gained.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. WARD, OF HAVER STOOK HILL, COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX, GREAT BRITAIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN PlANO-FORTES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N o. 222,848, dated December 23, 1879; application filed December 21, 1877; patented in England, May 1, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN CHARLES W ARD, of Haverstock Hill, in the county of MiddleseX, Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, professor of music, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Piano Fortes, which improvements are fully set forth in the annexed specification.

This invention is an improvement upon that class of piano-fortes which have two soundingboards, double sets of strings, and hammers operated by one key-board.

This invention of improvements in piano fortes has reference to an improved arrangement of instrument in which the key-board and sound-producing appliances, though of equal dimensions and power to those used in ordinary piano-fortes, are so disposed as that great economy is effected both in space and material, the weight is reduced, and additional For these purposes, with a frame having the strings arranged at both its sides, I combine a key-board arranged immediately over the frame itself, and I arrange the notes with the corresponding hammers or strikers alternately at the opposite sides of the frame, connecting the respective keys by suitable connections with the actions of their appropriate hammers or strikers. In other words, the strings and hammers for producing the notes A B O-sharp, &c., are arranged at one side of the frame. The strings and hammers for producing the alternate notes B- flat O I), &c., are arranged at the opposite side of the frame.

The key-board arranged at the top of and over the frame stringed at both sides, as described, may be arranged to draw out more or less toward the front side of the instrument for convenience of playing, and to he slid back when not required for use, so that when the cover is closed the instrument may be all contained in an oblong rectangular case, the form and design whereof may be varied, as may be desired.

It will be evident that the details of con struction of my improved pianos, which I denominate Angelute Pianos, may be modified in various ways without departing from the distinctive character of my invention hereinabove set forth.

Figure l of the drawings is a front elevation of one of my improved piano-fortes with the case removed, and shows the sound-board on the front, the sound-board and general arran gement at the opposite side of the frame being similar, except as to the different positions of the strings. Fig. 2 is a transverse section to a larger scale of the upper portion of Fig. 1, showing the appliances by which I prefer to give the keys the necessary command of the actions equally at both sides of the frame. Of the actions shown by way of illustration, that to the right of the frame, as seen in the figure, is of a peculiar construction, designed to allow of the case being recessed or narrowed up to a higher point than would be feasible with the action shown to the left. It will be noted that if the action shown to the left be adopted the keys and levers over the frame may be placed somewhat lower than shown. It may also be desirable to employ a full scale instead of a contracted one at the strikingline. Fig. 3 is a section of part of the top, showing the key-board drawn out for playing, and illustrates the mode in which I eifect the connect-ion between the keysand the actions; and Fig. at is a section of the lower portion of one of my improved pianos.

a is the frame. I) b are sound-boards. c c are the strings. All the wrest-pin heads 0 are at the one side of the frame, either to the right or left in relation to the key-board or front part, for convenience of tuning, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4.

d d are the keys, centered, respectively, at d (1 and kept in place by pins (1 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. d is a lead weight.

I will now describe the arrangements by which the key d operates its action, promising that each of the other keys operates its own action by similar means.

As the key-board is drawn out the catch 0 jointed to the key at e, and secured from vibratory motion by the stop (1 engages, as shown in Fig. 3, with the piecef, fastened to the lever g, the lever g being centered at h, and having a pulling-hopper, i, jointed to it, which works the hammer-butt.

The catch a is forked at its upper end to re ceive the end of the key, and at its lower end to receive the tapered end of the piece f, so

that the lever 9 may be lifted by the transverse lift-pin e. The end of the piece fis of a tapered form, not only in its vertical section, but also in its horizontal section, so as to insure its entering readily between the lower prongs of the catch 0. The catch a is provided with a regulative screw, 0 which, when the key-board and keys are being pushed back, bears against the part (I of the key-frame, thus insuring the effectual moving of the catch 0 out of gear with the piece f.

g is a lead weight. Upon the lever is fixed a spring, f, formed so as to bear against the lift-pin c on the catch-piece 0, thereby keeping it in its position in the notch or recess formed in the piecef, as shown in Fig. 3. As the key (1 is depressed it raises the catch 0, and with it the lever g, pulling up the hopper i and bringing the hammer down on the string.

is is a head-check for checking the vibration of the hammers. It is worked by the lever g, which is connected with the lever by the wire q, as shown. The lever q likewise carries the dampers.

As a substitute for the wedges usually employed by tuners when tuning, the use of which would be attended with especial difficulty in a piano-forte strung on both sides of the frame, I employ the following arrangement: I apply a vibrating rod or shaft, Z, supported at intervals and carrying unieord dampers Z and wedges or bicord dampers l all of which are clear of the strings when the rod or shaft 1 is in its normal position, as shown in Fig. 2. The rod or shaft is operated through a rod, we, worked by apedal, n, which operates the spring cross-piece 0, fixed on the shaft 0. (See Fig. 4.) The vibrating rod or shaft is kept in its normal position by means of the spring a acting on the pedal 71, Fig. 1; but if the pedal n be depressed the unicord dampers I. will be brought into contact with the strings, and if the pedal n be aised the wedges or bicord dampers Z will be brought into action.

It will be obvious that either of the two forms of damper-lever may be used at both sides, so that the dampers may at both sides be either between the strings and the soundboards or out-side.

It will also be obvious that the pedal arrangen'lent must be modified accordingly, and the manner of doing this will be evident from the mode adopted in respect of the loud pedal shown at .tin Fig. 1.

It will also be evident that this improved wedgin g or damping appliance may be applied in pianos of ordinary construction.

To economize room some of the strings and hammer stems are arranged diagonally, as shown in Fig. 1.

In mypianoforte, having the action as shown to the right in Fig. 2, the height will be about thirty-five inches; but by 'using the action as shown at the opposite side, or by adopting a modification of my invention in which the keyboard is fixed instead of movable, a reduction in height varying from half an inch to three inches may be effected. Hence, it follows that in some seven-octave instruments already constructed on my principle, nolonger than the ordinary pianette, (four feet three and a halt inches,) only thirty-three inches high (being no higher than the fall of certain favorite models by eminent makers) and but thirteen and a half inches deep, there is found a full-sized keyboard, an unusual area of sound-board, and a scale of stringingthroughout which corsponds to that of the best examples of vertical pianos (fourfeet, and even four feet six inches high) by the most advanced makers.

Indeed, several of my lowest strings exceed forty inches in length. Thislength is susceptible of a further increase from two to three inches by resorting to the system of overstringing, the mode of carrying out which in the case of my piano is obvious, and needs no description.

The lever g, centered at it, is shown broken, and I have not deemed it necessary to show its connection with the key, as it is operated in exactly the same way as the lever g, as before observed, by a eatclrpiece at the end of the key.

p is the case of the instrument, and p the fall. The case is made with openings for letting out the sound, which openings may be provided with ornamental fretwork. Soundholes and sound posts a are shown, respectively, in Figs. 1 and 2.

8, Figs. 1 and 4, is a hinged prop for supporting the instrument in a tilted position, to facilitate the tuning with an ordinary tuninghammer of some of the lower strings.

It will be obvious that in piano-fortes where in the key-board is arranged above a frame strung at both sides, and provided with appropriate hammers and connections, as described, the details of construction may be variously modified without departing from the distinctive characteristics of my invention, or sacrificing the attendant advantages of full tone and compactness Thus, though more convenient in some instances, it is by no means essential'that the keyboard should be a sliding one. It may be fixed, the keys being centered at their ends, or at intermediate points of their lengths, according to cireiu'nstances.

The hoppers may be jointed directly to the 'keys in suitable positions to directly operate the hammers on the respective sides of the frame; or motion from the keys to the hoppers may be communicated through levers pivoted to the key-frame or to an independent rail.

I claim- 1. A piano-forte wherein the key-board is above a frame strung on both sides, and the keys are provided wit-h means for operating appropriate hammers mounted opposite the strings at the respective sides of said frame.

2. In a pianoforte such as is above referred to, a sliding keyboard, in combination with a frame having at one of its sides the strings for producing the whole-tone scale of notes A B O-sharp, for instance, and at its opposite side the strings for producing the alternate Wholetone scale ofnotes, B-flat O D,substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

3; In combination With the sliding keyframe keys (1 and catches e, the levers g, with their pieces f, constructed and arranged to operate substantially as described and shown, for the purposes specified.

4'. In combination with the lever g and its piece f, the sprin g f constructed and arranged to operate substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

5. The combination of the lever g and pulling-hopperi, jointed thereto, with the hammer t, head-check k, lever q, and rod q, all constructed and arranged substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

6. In combination with the string, the vibrating rod or shaft 1, unicord damper l, and Wedge or bicord damper l constructed and arranged to operate substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

JOHN C. WARD.

Witnesses:

F. J. BROUGHAM, Clerk to Mr. W. Lloyd Wise, Adelphi, London.

I. I. ROWLEY,

Adclphi, London. 

